


Sandwiches & Soda

by PrettyYoungKing



Series: Food & Drink [2]
Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 20:26:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8071573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrettyYoungKing/pseuds/PrettyYoungKing
Summary: Usually she’d feel nothing but anxiety filling her chest and find herself thinking of all the ways she’s done something wrong. However, she feels nothing but happiness. It’s a strange sensation.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So the reaction to Doughnuts & Coffee was incredible!  
> It definitely inspired me to write a second part so enjoy!

Erin sat across from the empty chair, her fingers tapping against the wooden table top in an attempt to soothe her anxiety whilst the coffee shop bustled around her. Holtz, on the other hand stood at the front of the line, elbows on the counter, pushing herself on the tips of her toes as she leaned closer to the barista (no doubt ordering some ungodly sugary concoction.)  
  
They hadn’t talked about _it_ for nearly two days, not because they didn’t want too of course, but simply because they were busy; it almost seemed that the moment the city was coherent enough that the phones were perpetually ringing.  
  
Which was why they were here, in what could possibly be the busiest coffee shop in all of New York, to talk about _it_. No phone calls or ghosts, no Abby or Patty (because despite how much she loved them both, they had the _worst_ timing,) no interruptions. Just them.  
  
She’s so lost in the past she doesn’t even notice Holtz coming back to the table, only when Holtz slides the coffee in front of her, hand waving in front of her face does she tune back in. “Earth to Dr. Gilbert, come in Dr. Gilbert” Holtz is pushing her glasses up high onto her hair, smiling softly with her eyes crinkling at the corners. Erins’ heart flip-flops in her chest.  
  
Reaching out she gently grabs the hand still waving in front of her face, lacing their fingers together and bringing them down to the table. She smiles, eyes trained on their hands, “Sorry, I was just thinking.”  
  
Holtzs’ finger tips flex, pressing softly into the back of her hand, drawing her attention back to her face, “Wanna share with the class?” she says it lightly, and Erin knows she wouldn’t push for an answer if she declined to give one.  
  
“I was uh-” she laughs softly, “I was thinking about us” she pauses, glances down at their still joined hands. “About this.”  
  
Holtz tilts her head, a curl falling out of place from the perfectly coiffed hair and Erin holds back the urge to tuck it back. When Holtz speaks, it’s soft, almost too soft as she only just hears her over the noise of coffee being ground in the background “Good things, I hope?”  
  
Erin disengages their hands and, giving in to her urge, leans across the table and tucks the curl of hair back into place. She doesn’t lean back right away, instead she cups Holtzs’ jaw and in a gentle voice says “Always” as she looks her in the eyes. She sits back down and crosses her arms in front of her as the sudden burst of confidence fades.  
  
Holtz is looking at her as if she’s just given her the world wrapped up and tied with string. Her chest feels tight and she begins to feel the anxiety creeping back in; she resists the urge to tap her fingers again and grabs up her cup in both hands just so they’ll have something to do and looks at the menu just over Holtzs’ shoulder.

“So,” Holtz draws the word out and Erin can’t help but flick her eyes back over to her. She’s glancing down, staring deep into her plastic cup of _‘Soda?’_ because that’s what it is, soda, grape by the looks of it. Erin feels her lip twitch as she watches Holtz drag her finger through the condensation. At least she wasn’t the _only_ awkward one here.

“So,” she sips her coffee, at a loss for words already.  
  
Holtz glances back up at her, opens her mouth, closes it and repeats the motions twice more before puffing out her cheeks in frustration.  
  
It’s a few seconds before she actually speaks, “I’m no good at this,” she pauses, gesturing between them weakly, “you know, emotion stuff.” Erin does know. She finds it endearing.  
  
Holtz sighs, and tilts her head back to stare at the ceiling, she seems to be deep in thought. Erin rests her chin on her hands and stares at Holtzs’ neck. Thinks about how beautiful her neck is, then about how weird she might be for finding Holtzs’ neck beautiful and then she thinks about how much she just doesn’t care.  
  
Holtzs’ head snaps back down suddenly causing Erin to flinch in surprise, she looks determined. “You make me feel like soda” she states, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“Soda?” she asks hesitantly while lowering her hands back to the table, “How could I possibly-” she’s afraid it’s a joke.

Holtz leans forward, chin jutting out and hands gesturing to her cup of soda, “Ok” she begins, and it almost sounds like she’s about to tell her the secrets of the universe. “So you know how soda is fizzy right?” Erin nods, of course she does, “ok, so you make me feel like that” she gestures to her chest “in here.”

“I make your chest feel fizzy?” the concept is hard to grasp but Holtz is nodding frantically.

“And when you smile” she runs her hand over her face, “God, it feels like I’ve drunk a thousand sodas and that I’m on the worlds’ best sugar rush.”

Erin can’t really help herself at that and she smiles, Holtzs’ cry of “See!” only making her smile harder.

“That’s so-” she begins, but she’s cut off swiftly

“I know, it’s stupid”

“What? _No!_ I was going to say it’s sweet”

Holtz rests her chin in the palm of her hand and gazes at her, Erin can’t handle the intensity of it and blurts “You make me feel the same!” and watches as Holtzs’ eyes widen.

“What?”

“You make my chest feel fizzy too.” She can feel intense heat on her cheeks and hopes that she can pass it off as the coffee shop being warm.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Holtz suddenly asks and her brain stops working for a second, “they do some pretty awesome sandwiches around the corner if you’re hungry.”

She thinks about it, nods (mainly to herself.) “Yeah, I’d like that Holtzmann.”

“I kinda figured, since we’re on a date-” she cuts herself off, suddenly looking stricken, “This _is_ a date right? Because if it’s not we can totally go back to it not being a-” this time Erin cuts her off.

“Jillian” she says it softly “Of course it’s a date,” she enjoys the way the words roll off her tongue, she even enjoys the way they make her heart rate ramp up. Holtz blushes furiously and she can’t deny that she enjoys that as well.

“But maybe,” she says as she glances at her half full cup of coffee, “I should finish this first” and she’s not sure why but Holtzmann laughs. Usually she’d feel nothing but anxiety filling her chest and find herself thinking of all the ways she’s done something wrong. However, she feels nothing but happiness. It’s a strange sensation.

They finish their drinks in silence, trading only shy glances and soft smiles.

Erin returns her cup to the bar while Holtzmann throws away her trash, mere seconds later Erin watches on confused as Holtz rushes ahead of her, only to stifle giggles as she holds open the door with a dramatic bow. “After you” she drawls, winking.

They walk shoulder to shoulder towards the sandwich shop, Erin feels like she has a mild heart attack when Holtz grabs her hand with no warning, “Sorry” Holtz apologizes sheepishly, “I guess I got a bit excited.” Erin blushes and turns away with a grin, squeezing Holtzs’ hand gently and pretending not to notice as Holtz stumbles after her.

They turn the corner and Erin pauses, “Holtz” Holtzs’ only response is a soft hum, “is the amazing sandwich place, perchance, a Subway?”

Holtz glances at her and grins, nodding as she says “Yep” as if it’s obvious. Erin sighs good naturedly, and figures she should have guessed as she’s dragged through the door.

They order, the poor woman making their sandwiches looks as horrified as Erin feels when Holtz requests more pickles than should humanly be required, her horror only increases as Holtz orders yet another soda and proceeds to mix all flavours from the soda fountain into a single cup.

“Holtz, no”

“Not now Erin, you’re putting me off”

“Putting you off…mixing soda?”

“Yeah, there’s like, a specific formula y’know?”

“To mixing soda?” because of _course_ there was.

“Yeah! You should totally try it, tastes like candy”

“Maybe later,” which she knows she’ll regret, but the look of joy she gets in return is worth it.

They go to the back of the shop, choosing a small, round table situated in the corner; Erin goes to pull her chair out but is suddenly distracted by Holtz frantically dropping their stuff on the table and shooing her.

“Holtz what are you-” she stops as Holtz pulls out her chair, gesturing to her to sit down. Erin deadpans, “Are you serious?”

“Deadly” Holtz chirps, grin wide. Erin sighs, rolls her eyes and struggles not to grin back.

She sits, yelping as Holtzmann pushes her chair in a little too fast. She glowers a little while she unwraps her sandwich, watching as Holtz drops gracelessly into her seat.

“So,” Erin says as she watches Holtz unwrap her overly pickled monstrosity, wincing as she takes a large sloppy bite out of it; Holtz gestures at her to continue with the hand holding the sandwich, some pickles fall out of it.

“About earlier,” she wrings her hand and they feel clammy “About me making you feel like,” she pauses, realizes how strange it’ll sound despite having said it earlier herself “Soda?” She doesn’t mean for it to come out like a question, but Holtz nods her affirmative anyway.

“Does that mean-” she takes a deep breath, “does that mean you like me?” and Holtz is giving her a look that she interprets as confusion, “I mean like _, like me_ , like me?” and _God_ , she feels like she’s sixteen again (and that isn’t an age she wants to revisit anytime soon.)

Thankfully she doesn’t answer with her mouth full, Erin doesn’t think she could handle that. “Erin,” she takes a sip of her soda concoction, “I told you-” her voice sounds like it did when they were in the pub, after saving New York, “I told you, that I’ve liked you since I first met you” she waves her hands around and the sandwich drops another pickle, “did I not in fact tell you that?” she’s pointing the sandwich at her now.

“I mean yes but-”

“Why would there be a but involved?” she sounds incredulous, “I meant it!” Erin can feel warmth in her stomach. Still, she can’t help but argue.

“That was after-” she’s cut off again by another wave of the sandwich.

“After you kissed me?” Erin flushes and fixes her eyes on Holtz goggles, still safely fixed on the top of her head, far away from her eyes which were furiously drilling into her.

“Yes” she murmurs, she sounds ashamed in her own ears, she notes Holtz _finally_ putting down the damn sandwich before reaching out to clutch her hands between her own work roughened ones.

“Erin,” her voice is soft and Erin starts to feel the pinprick of tears in her eyes, she doesn’t understand why; “Erin” she repeats, “I didn’t tell you I liked you just because you kissed me” Erin flicks her eyes down to see her expression, she looks earnest.

“Yeah?” She hates the way her voice sounds, like her own throat is choking her.

“Yeah” Holtz laughs softly, “I told you I like you because I _like_ you” she pulls one of her hands away, bringing it up to poke her in the forehead “for a genius you’re pretty dumb sometimes.” Erins’ laughter is watery.

“You know,” Holtz continues, releasing Erins’ hands and picking her sandwich back up, “the most surprising thing about all this-” She gestures madly again “-is you liking me back.”

Erin, having picked up her sandwich for the first time since they first started talking puts it abruptly back down. Holtz watches her in confusion. “What do you _mean_ that it’s surprising?” she really doesn’t mean for it to come out as high pitched as it does.

Holtz looks startled, like she wasn’t actually expecting Erin to question her. “Well, I mean” she looks lost for words and takes another bite of her sandwich in what seems to be an attempt to draw things out, she mumbles something unintelligible (which irks Erin to no end.)

Erin rolls her eyes but picks her sandwich back up and nibbles at the edges anyway, she figures she might as well eat while Holtz tries to think of a response and that could take a while.

She feels she should probably be worried that Holtz still hasn’t said anything by the time they’re gathering their trash, Holtz still nursing her soda. They’re walking back towards the firehouse when Holtz finally breaks the silence.

“Because it’s you” and it’s so sudden, so _confusing_ , that Erin just blinks back at her; Holtz rolls her eyes, “it’s surprising that you like me” she points to herself, “because it’s you” she points at Erin.

Erin squints at her as they turn down the alleyway next to the firehouse, debris from Holtzmanns’ previous experiments crunching under their feet as they go; “You know that’s _why_ I like you, right?” She twitches a little when Holtzs’ head snaps to look at her.

“What?” Holtz is giving her such an intense look that Erin can’t help but feel defensive for a moment. “I’m weird though,” Holtz continues, not waiting for a response, “like, really weird.”

She shoves her soda into Erins’ hand as she crouches to grab a gear from the ground, she mutters something that sounds suspiciously like “ _I wondered where that’d gone_.”

Erin sips from the soda, it was disgusting, it had lost most of its fizz and was lukewarm and not to mention it tasted like diabetes in a cup. Holtz smirks as she plucks it back from her hand, the expression falling into something softer as she asks “You know what I mean though, right?” Of course Erin knows.

“Of course I know Hol-” she cuts herself off, “Jillian” it feels more appropriate “why does it matter?”

Holtzmann looks perplexed, tilting her head like a confused puppy “and you still like me? Even though I’m weird?”

“Jillian” her voice is firm and Holtzmann tilts her head like a confused puppy, “I like you _because_ you’re weird.” Holtzmann tilts her head a little more.

“Well,” Holtzmann drawls “that’s a first.” Erin almost doesn’t understand what she means, then she’s angry, angry at all of the people who had come and gone before her, the ones that had tried to make Holtz believe she was anything other than the unadulterated genius that she was.

She doesn’t even realise she’s clenching her fist until Holtz is gently uncurling her fingers, twining them with her own. Erin knows this is something to be talked about another day.

“So,” Holtz looks at her coyly, “you like me?” she swings their joined hands playfully, sipping from her soda. Erin breathes out a laugh.

“Yes, quite a bit actually”

“You sure now?” Holtz was smirking, “I’m not sure I’ll be that easy to get rid of”

Erin rolls her eyes, “Of course I’m sure” it’s her turn to smirk, “I should be the one asking _you_ if you’re sure”

Holtz squeezes her hand softly whilst she hums and taps her chin in fake contemplation, she laughs as Erin shoves her shoulder gently.

“My dear Dr. Gilbert” she says, “I do believe I’m quite enamoured with you”

She turns away and drags a grinning Erin further into the alleyway, not even looking as she throws her empty soda cup into the dumpster.

She turns back around, causing Erin to almost crash into her, a serious expression on her face “I have something to ask you first,” Erin feels her heart start to sink.

“Fire away” she hopes it doesn’t sound shaky. The serious expression doesn’t leave Holtzmanns’ face;

“Can I kiss you?”

Erins’ shoulders shake with laughter, her heart suddenly pounding hard while her palms begin to sweat, she pulls the hand still held captive by Holtz free and wipes it on her jeans.

“Yeah Holtzmann, you can kiss me.” And then Holtzmanns’ hand is on the back of her neck, pulling her the short distance down to press their lips together, short and sweet. They press their foreheads together, Erin opens her eyes and notices that Holtz has yet to open hers.

“Erin?” it’s soft, almost a whisper.

“Yeah Holtz?”

“I really do like you; you know?” she still hasn’t opened her eyes

“Yeah Holtz, I do” it still feels a little unreal. They stand there for a moment, the sounds of New York traffic flowing into the alleyway.

“Hey, Holtz?” Holtz opens her eyes to look up at her.

“Yeah?”

“Could we keep, you know, this” she gestures around them, “between me and you?” she rushes to finish on seeing the expression on Holtz face. “Just for now! I just- I want to be able to enjoy it, you know?” she pauses, hands hovering awkwardly before she places them over Holtzs’ shoulders.

“Just me and you, no one else” she pulls Holtz closer and smiles, “I really like you Holtz.”

Holtz seems to think it over, before nodding vigorously, forehead still pressed to Erins’, her hands rest on Erins’ hips “I think I’d like that” she pauses, “just you and me.”

Erin kisses her again, pulling back when Holtzmann smiles, teeth flush against her lips. “What?” she asks, a grin of her own appearing.

“Nothing” Holtz responds before laughing, “I’m just happy” her eyes twinkle and Erin nods, she understands.

“Come here” she whispers, cupping her jaw.

They kiss again.

 _‘Yeah’_ Erin thinks _‘I’m happy too.’_

**Author's Note:**

> I've never really written a second part to anything before?  
> Any mistakes in this are my own of course!


End file.
